Openreach thinking of withdrawing service

We have been problems for month now with internet/adsl disconnecting randomly and every time the phone rings. Openreach have changed many items at the exchange ,but have not fixed the problem. They have know told my service provider, who has been pressurizing openreach to fix the fault,that they( openreach want to withdraw the service/cease the line, as they can not fix the fault!Can they legal do this, leave us with no telephone and broadband and no mobile reception in a very rural hamlet? Can we not insist to keep the line running?

Re: Openreach thinking of withdrawing service

Can they legal do this, leave us with no telephone and broadband and no mobile reception in a very rural hamlet? Can we not insist to keep the line running?

They can as MrS says, but only for the broadband. Once that is done, it is likely you won't be able to re-order broadband with any provider (who uses Openreach) as the address will be marked as not suitable for service (with current technologies).

You may be able to insist but it may be on the understanding that there may be nothing more than can do and the fault you have isn't one that can be raised any further or has any alternative solutions.

Re: Openreach thinking of withdrawing service

You really need to find out why OR are going down this route. Maybe you are in the same boat that I was in when I moved in - had a phone line on the house but never gave it a thought that the main box didn't have any spares going back to the exchange. My original set of wires had been given to someone else while the house was empty. Maybe they haven't any spares and your set of wires are naff. Might be OK for voice but not for the internet.

I contacted my MP, I also contacted the CEO of BT (presumably OR have the same setup). I can remember at the time writing to BT along the lines of, 3rd world countries can do better....... I'd just come back from Vietnam where you got connected the same day you ask for an internet connection!

Took 6 months to sort but in the meantime I was given free WiFi access - basically piggybacking on my neighbours already dire connection using their FON side. Not a good way to surf the internet though. Like you, mobile networks were pretty bad at the time - still are, if I was to be so blunt. Go upstairs, or outside, to make a call!

After about 6 months! BT/OR eventually laid new ducts etc back to the next village (3km) and ended up running in a new cable - seems I wasn't the only one waiting.

You don't say what part of the country but a fairly popular way to get connected round these parts is Wireless. Even though we have fibre now, quite a few properties have since gone for the wireless setup, Some have even ditched the phone line totally. You need to find out what is available in your area. Time to think outside the box!

Re: Openreach thinking of withdrawing service

Yes the phone always works, it is just a bad line sometimes, it just broadband disconnects when phone rings and at other times. There are not many people here where we live and this happens to about 25% of subscribers according to my research. i would have thought openreach would just say we can not fix it,but you can keep the service as it is now??